Special Features

The recent election of Pope Francis featured a series of remarkable firsts: first resignation of a pope in several centuries, first Jesuit elected pope, first pope from the Americas, first pope with the regnal name Francis. What do these firsts mean for the papacy and for the Catholic Church as a whole?

Jonathan Seitz, Ph.D., director of undergraduate studies, associate teaching professor of History, and a scholar of religious history, will discuss the stories of the handful of earlier papal resignations and the story of St. Francis of Assisi, from whom Pope Francis took his name, to give insight into what might lie ahead. Douglas Porpora, Ph.D., professor of sociology, will discuss the new pope in relation to current struggles within the church.

International Cafe is a monthly forum sponsored by International Area Studies and the College of Arts and Sciences that provides globally themed discussions that are open to the entire Drexel community. For more information, please contact Jacqueline Rios at jsr62@drexel.edu.